June 2013

On this day in 1491, Henry VIII, King of England was born. Although historically known for his role in initiating the English Reformation with the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church, Henry VIII is perhaps best remembered in popular culture for his six marriages and beheading two of his wives. Henry VIII is connected to over 70 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View… Read the full story

Today marks the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy‘s historic “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. On this day in 1963, shortly after the Soviet-controlled East Germany erected the Berlin Wall, President Kennedy made a historic visit to the city to expressed his solidarity with the citizens of West Germany. In what proved to be a significant moment of the Cold War, his speech brought the people of the divided city hope and emphasized the United States’… Read the full story

Henry Brooks Adams was a journalist and was keen on exposing political corruption. He was appointed Professor of Medieval History at Harvard in 1870 and is considered to have been the first to conduct historical seminar work in the United States. One of his students was Henry Cabot Lodge, who worked closely with Adams as a graduate student.  Adams wrote two novels, he is credited as the author of Democracy, which was published anonymously in 1880… Read the full story

On June 25, 1903, author George Orwell was born in Motihari, India. Best known for his novels Animal Farm and 1984, Orwell frequently included themes of social injustice and addressed the major political movements of his times in his works. His writings continue to influence popular and political culture as the term “Orwellian,” descriptive of totalitarian social practices, and several of his neologisms, such as “Big Brother,” have become apart of today’s vernacular. George Orwell is… Read the full story

Here are some interesting genealogy articles from the past week. The Genealogy Sphere Uncovering genealogy can lead to fascinating insights (ReadingEagle.com) – A genealogist discovers the story behind her great grandfather Thomas Armitage, a Civil War veteran who died in a Confederate prison in 1864 Obama’s Irish ancestry highlighted during first family’s visit to Trinity (Irish Times) – President Obama and his family learn about their genealogy while visiting Ireland 33 Reasons You Should Be… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Prince William! Today the Duke of Cambridge turns 31. The eldest son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles of Wales, Prince William is the second inline to the British throne. He was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in London and was the first royal heir to be born in a hospital. Prince William will soon be a proud papa himself as he and his wife, Kate Middleton, await the impending birth of their first… Read the full story

Today we remember actor James Gandolfini, who passed away yesterday at the age of 51. Born in Westwood, New Jersey, James developed a strong connection to his Italian heritage. His mother, a high school lunch lady, was born in the U.S. but raised in Naples, Italy and his father, a custodian, was a native of Borgotaro, Italy. He shot to fame as mafia boss Tony Soprano on HBO’s award-winning show The Sopranos, for which he… Read the full story

On this day in 1846, the first officially recorded, organized baseball game was played under Alexander Cartwright‘s rules in Hoboken, New Jersey. Dubbed the “father of baseball,” Cartwright played the role of umpire for the game. And it was on this day 57 years later that American baseball legend Lou Gehrig was born in Yorkville, New York. Nicknamed “The Iron Horse,” Gehrig set several major league records, including the most career grand slams. He was… Read the full story

John Davis Lodge was an American actor turned politician, he was 79th Governor of Connecticut from 1951 to 1955, and U.S. Ambassador to Spain, Argentina and Switzerland. He graduated from Harvard University in 1925 and Harvard Law School in 1929. After a brief career as a lawyer, Lodge worked as an actor on screen and stage from 1933 to 1942. He appeared in movies such as Little Women, The Little Colonel in which he played Shirley Temple‘s… Read the full story

On June 18, 1901, Anastasia, daughter of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, was born in Petrodvorets, Russia. She was killed along with her family by members of the Bolshevik secret police, but the location of her body remained unknown until 2008. Rumors of her escape widely circulated after her death, with many women claiming to be the real Anastasia. The most notorious Anastasia impostor was Anna Anderson, who surfaced publicly during the 1920s. She… Read the full story

Here are some interesting genealogy articles in the past week. Have you read a great family history article you would like to share? Tell us in the comments below. The Genealogy Sphere The chilling pictures of suitcases left in a New York insane asylum by patients who were locked away for the rest of their lives (Daily Mail UK) – Fascinating images documenting the suitcases left behind by patients at the Willard Asylum for the… Read the full story

On June 17, 1882, Russian composer Igor Stravinsky was born in Oranienbaum, Russia. Considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century, Stravinsky was noted for his stylistic diversity and revolutionary compositions. Over the course of his career, he wrote more than 100 pieces, including ballets, symphonies and operas. Igor Stravinsky is connected to over 70 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View Igor… Read the full story

It’s Flag Day in the U.S.! On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag. According to legend, during the American Revolution, George Washington commissioned Betsy Ross to design and sew the flag for the new nation. Although historians have been unable to prove the legend true, the story made Ross a patriotic icon during the late 19th century. Betsy Ross is connected to over 70 million people… Read the full story

This Sunday, the U.S. and many other parts of the world will celebrate Father’s Day. Observed on the third Sunday of June every year, Father’s Day is the perfect summer celebration for outdoor festivities and family gatherings in honor of our father’s, grandfather’s and paternal figures in our lives. Did you know Father’s Day was well celebrated long before it was officially recognized as a national holiday in 1972? The day was founded in Spokane,… Read the full story

On June 13, 1863, Lady Lucy Duff Gordon was born in London, England. As the first English designer to achieve international recognition, she was a widely acknowledged innovator in couture styles and originated the “mannequin parade,” a precursor to the modern fashion show. Gordon is perhaps best remembered as a surviving passenger of the Titanic disaster. She and her husband escaped in Lifeboat 1. Although built to hold about 63 people, the boat was lowered with less than… Read the full story

On June 12, 1929, Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was this day on her 13th birthday that Anne received her famous diary in which she would sort all her emotions, despairs and desires, while in hiding during World War II. After two years of hiding, the family was discovered and taken to a Nazi concentration camp. Her father, Otto Frank, was the only one of the group to survive. He… Read the full story

John Maynard Keynes was a British economist and is widely considered to be one of the founders of modern macroeconomics and the most influential economist of the 20th century. His ideas are the basis for the school of thought known as Keynesian economics. According to Keynesian economics, state intervention was necessary to moderate “boom and bust” cycles of economic activity. Criticisms of Keynes’s ideas had begun to gain significant acceptance by the early 1970s as… Read the full story

On June 11, 1864, German composer Richard Strauss was born in Munich, Germany. The leading German classical composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, Strauss is known for his operas, Der Rosenkavalier and Salome, based on the play by Oscar Wilde. Richard Strauss is connected to over 70 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View Richard Strauss’s Geni Profile  

This weekend we had the pleasure of attending the 44th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree in Burbank, California. It was a blast meeting Geni users and seeing familiar faces, old friends and first timers. This year we had a much larger space as part of the MyHeritage family with a lovely day-in-the-park theme and green “grass” to complete the look. We even had new Geni banners to show off! Below is a picture of Mark Olsen,… Read the full story

Did everyone have a great weekend? Check out some interesting articles from the past week! The Genealogy Sphere Lost Love Letter Turns Up After Nearly 70 Years (ABC News) – A 70 year old love letter finally reaches its destination Mystery Letter Reunites Couple After 63 Years Apart (Yahoo! Shine) – A couple reunited after six decades Mirfield star Patrick Stewart delves into family history (Dewsbury Reporter) – Actor Patrick Stewart was recently featured on… Read the full story

On June 10, 1928, beloved children’s book writer Maurice Sendak was born in Brooklyn, New York. Known for his critically acclaimed book, Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak gained international fame for the book’s dark story and somewhat grotesque illustrations. Do you remember reading Where the Wild Things Are as a child? Maurice Sendak’s family tree is not yet connected to the World Family Tree. Perhaps you can help expand his tree and connect him to… Read the full story

Chad Woodburn is descended from a long line of pioneers. From his nine ancestors who were on the Mayflower to his father, who came to California in a covered wagon, it’s no wonder Chad became interested in his family history at a young age. Chad Woodburn His interest was first peeked upon reading handwritten family genealogy tables that went back a few hundred years. As a child, he would listen to his parents and grandparents… Read the full story

Our goal at Geni has always been to create the world’s largest, most comprehensive world family tree. Through the collaboration of millions of genealogists, we’ve seen tremendous growth in our World Family Tree, with millions of profiles added and merged in the past year. We’re thrilled to announce that Geni’s World Family Tree now has over 70,000,000 profiles connected! In the last few months, we’ve brought some amazing features to Geni to help make your research… Read the full story

Tomorrow comedian Joan Rivers celebrates her 80th birthday! Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rivers is the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants. Her big break came in 1965 when she was invited to perform her stand up routine on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Combined with her appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, Rivers quickly became a household name. Joan Rivers is connected to over 70 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are… Read the full story

On June 6, 1875, German novelist Thomas Mann was born in Lübeck, Germany. He is best remembered for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels, most notably the epic Buddenbrooks and The Magic Mountain. In 1929, Mann was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Thomas Mann is connected to 70 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View Thomas Mann’s Geni Profile  

Forty-five years ago today, Robert F. Kennedy was shot in a hail of gunfire in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He died from his wounds the next day. The younger brother of President John F. Kennedy, Robert served as the 64th U.S. Attorney General from 1961 – 1964. He was a seminal figure of the 1960s and a strong advocate for the American Civil Rights Movement. Do you remember when Robert F. Kennedy was… Read the full story

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich was a British statesman ho succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich, as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten. He was Postmaster General, First Lord of the Admiralty and Secretary of State for the Northern Department. He is best known for the claim that he was the inventor of the sandwich. John Montagu was born on November 13, 1718 to Edward Montagu,… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Angelina Jolie! Today the popular actress turns 38. Recently, Jolie bravely revealed that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy to minimize her risk of breast cancer after learning that she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation. She had lost her mother and most recently, her aunt to cancer. Angelina Jolie is connected to over 70 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View Angelina Jolie’s Geni Profile  … Read the full story

Check out some interesting genealogy articles from around the web! The Genealogy Sphere Gen Y: The Top Lessons Learned From Genealogy (The Huffington Post) – Joshua Taylor discusses today’s Mellennials as they discover their roots From Appearance to Identity: How Census Data Collection Changed Race in America (Pacific Standard Magazine) – A fascinating look at race and the U.S. census The bankrupt (The Legal Genealogist blog) – Judy G. Russell explains the history of bankruptcy… Read the full story

Today we remember Jean Stapleton, who died in her New York City home at the age of 90. Despite a lifetime career in acting, Stapleton didn’t gain fame until late in life for her iconic portral of Edith Bunker in the 1970s groundbreaking comedy All in the Family. Do you remember watching her on television? Jean Stapleton is connected to over 70 million people in Geni’s World Family Tree. How are you related?     View… Read the full story